07/25 – 07/29:

Tegan & Sara, The Con

For my money, the absolute pinnacle of their career so far. I get the feeling most fans stick with So Jealous, and that’s fine, but for me, this is where it all comes together. The songwriting, the performances, the production, it’s all top-notch. The dynamic of their albums as Tegan & Sara’s writing styles get further ad further apart is really fascinating. Tegan’s more straight ahead rock songs paired with Sara’s more quirky compositions creates a great balance, and both of them can write an extremely catchy pop song when they’re in the mood. They make a great team while rarely operating as a team. And The Con is the best example of that so far, to me.

Tegan & Sara, “The Con”


The Roots, Game Theory

The Roots have 10 full-length studio albums. That seems sort of crazy to me, having been there waiting when most of them came out. Seems like it wasn’t so long ago I was playing Things Fall Apart over and over. Even crazier, there’s not a bad album among them. The Roots are one of the most reliably great bands in the world. But if there’s a weak spot in their catalog, both fans and band members seem to agree it is The Tipping Point. And as such, what they were going to do after it was something I was very curious to hear. But nothing could’ve prepared me for this album. they didn’t just bounce back, they surpassed anything they’d done to date. It was the most powerful, tightly-focused, cohesive album they’d ever made at that time (It’s hard to say whether the follow-up Rising Down matches or beats it for cohesion, and How I Got Over is almost certainly their most moving album at this point). It’s dark, much darker than anything that preceded it, but not hopeless. It reflected the times in which it was made. Between searing political and social commentary and a truly powerful tribute to J. Dilla’s untimely death, it made a huge impact on first listen. I still get sucked right into it any time I listen.

The Roots, “In The Music/Here I Come/Don’t Feel Right Medley”


Bob Dylan, Shot of Love

Shot of Love is a lot of things. The tail end of Dylan’s strange and mysterious Born Again period, the first album on which he began to employ the vocal style most people are doing when they do an impression of him, one of only two truly great albums he produced in the 80s (The other is Oh, Mercy). It’s the one I return to most often from his 80s output, certainly. Bob may have been drifting away from his newfound Christian faith, but he was still as fired up as he’s ever been on this album, replacing the extremely religious and preachy style of Saved with something more like a Christian-tinged social commentary. It’s a great listen.

Bob Dylan, “Shot of Love”


Veil of Maya, [id]

Veil of Maya’s 3rd album sounds a lot like their 2nd album, I am forced to admit. But I liked the 2nd album, so I guess that’s ok? It’s ok-ish. And there’s a song about Lost constructed by using the numbers from Lost for time signatures. That’s pretty fun.

Veil of Maya, “Unbreakable”


Prince, 3121

It’s not the best of Prince’s modern output (I’d probably give that distinction to Planet Earth), but it’s not bad. “Black Sweat” is awesome, and there’s some great moments both fiery (“Guitar”), quiet (“Satisfied”) and even sort of hearkening back to his glory days (The synths on “Lolita,” for example). But Prince’s main problem since about the mid-90s -- transparent, misguided pandering to a young black audience that largely doesn’t actually care anymore-- plus his other problem since the 90s, glut, and his newer problem --his modern religiosity making it really difficult for the guy who makes the sexy songs to make sexy songs-- combine to drags him down often. He’s still capable of great songs, but I’m not sure he’ll ever make a great album again.

Prince, “Te Amo Corazon”


The Cool Kids, When Fish Ride Bicycles

Hey, speaking of great albums... I was not sure I’d even get this. I loved The Cool Kids’ debut, The Bake Sale, which they claimed was just a warm-up EP at the time, but stood alone long enough to become their first record by default... but subsequent work hasn’t wowed me. In lieu of that oft-promised debut album, they released a couple of mixtapes, and they were pretty unimpressive, frankly. The fun and experimentation that made The Bake Sale so appealing seemed to have drained out of them. And, as relatively young artists when they started, that didn’t seem so surprising. Such situations always make me think of how De La Soul seemed to use their 2nd album to viciously turn on everything they stood for on the first album. But, lo and behold, the wonderfully titled When Fish Ride Bicycles is a grand return to what made The Bake Sale great. The production is constantly surprising and exciting, the lyrics are clever and fun, and the boys are certainly back.

Cool Kids with Ghostface, “Penny Hardaway”


Yup.
--D

07/18 – 07/22:

Des Ark, Don't Rock the Boat, Sink the Fucker!

A very interesting record. A study in contrast and contradiction. Emotionally gripping. Pretty much tailor made for my ears. Des Ark put funny titles on serious music. They play fragile, haunting melodies that give way to raucous rock music and then recede again, like a wave. The vocals seem intentionally obscured much of the time, delivering extremely personal stories in a hushed whisper or buried in the mix, which only make the frequent huge choruses and chants that more powerful, while making the listener turn it up and play the record again immediately. The whole album must be taken together, with recurring themes both musical and lyrical and the end of one song blurring into the beginning of another. This is a record that really engages you.

Des Ark, “Bonne Chance, Asshole”


In Flames, Sounds of a Playground Fading

The 10th studio album by the melodic death metal pioneers comes right after Des Ark in my playlist of all the albums I’ve bought in 2011, and it fits surprisingly well. It’s dark, but not in what you might call a traditionally metal way. If anything, the songs seem to be about... well, the end. In Flames founder Jesper Strömblad left the band before this record to work on his alcohol addiction, so the strangely effecting lyrics about leaving and the end could be about that. But much of it, with lyrics like “The same road for far too long/Was it meant to be, we are losing identity/Faith has been denied, Let's not pretend/This Is this the first time, we just don't belong” and a moody spoken word interlude about saying good-bye and “vanishing through the Jester’s Door” (The Jester has been a prominent symbol in the band since their 2nd album), could really be taken as saying good-bye. Musically, they manage to keep things familiar without Jesper while still trying out some new ideas, too, some more successful than others. The album’s closer is the least-metal thing a metal band’s ever done, and I’m including Opeth’s acoustic album. Previous album A Sense of Purpose suffered from really middling production, making the whole affair feel flat and unfinished, but they’ve righted the ship on that front, with this album featuring lush production. Is this the end of our heroes? I guess we’ll find out.

In Flames, “Deliver Us”


Paper Tiger, Made Like Us

Paper Tiger, one of the producers for the unstoppable Doomtree collective, absolutely enthralled me on his full-length debut last year. Heavily reminiscent of DJ Shadow in his prime, the haunting soundscapes and dark ruminations he conjures here are fantastic.

Paper Tiger, "2nd Day Back"


Mastodon, Remission
Mastodon’s first proper album, the “fire” album in their series loosely based on the elements, their heaviest full-length, there’s a lot going on on this record. It’s a fun listen, and interesting in that it balances between crazy high-energy explosions and quieter instrumental exploration. They never made a record quite like it again.

Mastodon, “March of the Fire Ants”


Beck, Midnite Vultures

I realized somewhere along the line that Beck, to me = funny. From Mellow Gold and the Stereopathetic Soul Manure collection, that’s primarily what I got out of his music, and that’s what held my attention. However, Beck’s not very funny anymore. And it’s not a commentary on his music or anything, it’s just... I came for funny, and I usually get thoughtful hip hop-tinged indie rock, or crushingly sad singer/songwriter type stuff, or hybrids thereof. But, to borrow a phrase from Mojo Nixon, for one weird, glorious second, in and amongst this more serious fare, there was Midnite Vultures, the most absurd, hilarious thing in his whole catalog. And lo, it was good. It’s probably my most-listened Beck album.

Beck, “Hollywood Freaks”


White Gold, The Best I Can Give Is 2%

Once upon a time, in the far-off year of 2007, The California Milk Processor Board was looking for a new spin on the “Got Milk?” Campaign, and decided to try to create an off-beat viral sensation. So begins the tale of White Gold, a fictional rock star who was given a milk-filled guitar, his ability to rock, and his spectacular hair by “a crazy angel.” The Best I Can Give Is 2% is a 2008 EP of songs by “White Gold,” actually written and performed by Electric Six’s Dick Valentine and The Colonel. some of them were adapted into TV spots and music videos with an LA actor & musician playing the role of White Gold, but lip synching to Valentine’s vocal recordings. The songs are hilarious, some of the best material in recent Electric Six history, made even funnier because they stay on message throughout. Whether spinning wild tales about how milk can help you get women, have better hair, fall asleep and even help women with PMS, the songs are as laugh-out-loud funny as they are informative. It’s a weird, weird project, but worth listening to.

White Gold, “Tame the Tiger”

Yup.
--D

07/11 -- 07/15:

It’s a short week, as I have been kind of sucked in by Turntable.fm and didn’t get to listen to many albums. Next week’s soundtrack is probably not going to be very long, either... :)

The (International) Noise Conspiracy, A New Morning... Changing Weather

The high point of the band’s career. More fully-realized and bombastic than their first album, and man, I have no idea what they were thinking with their third. But this is fun, energized, politically-motivated rock music, with some surprising musical flourishes along the way. It’s a great listen.

The (International) Noise Conspiracy, “Bigger Cages, Longer Chains”


Los Campesinos!, Hold On Now, Youngster.

I was really impressed by this album when it came out, and it still holds up. The relentless energy, the wall of sound, the sarcastic, often hilarious lyrics, the exuberant backing vocals, the whole package just clicked for me instantly. That they released a whole second album that was just as good mere months later is insane.

Los Campesinos!, “Death To Los Campesinos!”

Pixies, Come On, Pilgrim

Almost had a “titled with commas” theme going. The Pixies’ debut EP isn’t the record I listen to most often, I must say, but that’s not really a comment on its quality or anything. I am perhaps the lone listener who seems to go back to Bossanova most often. Why? I don’t know, really. But I like their whole catalog. I like that each record has a pretty unique feel and sound. Most bands try to evolve in their careers, but The Pixies really tried a lot of things in their time together. This messy explosion of an EP was just the tip of the iceberg.

Pixies, “Levitate Me”


Jean Grae, Cookies Or Comas mixtape

The first repeat appearance since I started doing this. How prestigious! Scroll down to last week for info on this one.

Jean Grae with Pharoahe Monch, “Killing ‘Em”

Yup.

--D

07/04--07/08:

TV On the Radio, Return to Cookie Mountain

I guess this was their “breakthrough” album? It was the first one I heard, I shant pretend to be an extra-cool early adopter. But, me being me, the fragile beauty and rich textures of it made me quickly hunt down all previous material and read up on the group. I read a long feature on them and on the making of the record. It talked about how recording Return to Cookie Mountain was a surprisingly communal experience, with friends and fellow musicians constantly in and out, listening, contributing, giving advice, and even the reporter himself pulled in to record backing vocals at one point. They’ve continued to impress, with Dear Science, (The comma is in the title) taking the top spot for me and Nine Types of Light another really strong contender. I am a fan, is what I’m saying.

TV On The Radio, “Wolf Like Me”


Public Enemy, It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back

Still a powerful listen, in spite of the years. Really, when you think of the state of mainstream hip hop right now, if anything, it becomes more powerful. Once upon a time, there was a hugely successful rap group with a radical political message who helped force Arizona to acknowledge the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. Be kinda nice if the labels had the guts to support similarly-minded artists today. The only weak spot in their message is their anti-anti-sampling pitch. Chuck D has been ahead of the curve on music trends for as long as he’s been a public figure, but he was really wrong on that issue.

Public Enemy, “Don’t Believe The Hype”


Holly Miranda, The Magician's Private Library

Speaking of TV on the Radio, I picked this up primarily on the strength of TVOTR’s Dave Sitek in the producer’s chair. He leaves an unmistakable fingerprint, whether with his day job, doing Tom Waits covers with Scarlett Johansson, producing for Wale, doing his own thing as Maximum Balloon, or here. But with Holly Miranda, his presence and personal musical leaning don’t completely overshadow hers. While The Magician’s Private Library shares some sonic qualities with Sitek’s many works, it has plenty moments that clearly belong wholly to Miranda. It’s a dreamlike, mystical listen, running the gamut from playful to sorrowful, and really good late night quiet time music. I think I listened to some of this playing Ninja Gaiden 2 after I’d finished drawing. That was less appropriate.

Holly Miranda, “Waves”


John Coltrane, Giant Steps

Honestly, probably my favorite Coltrane. Maybe I should champion more ambitious material like A Love Supreme and more challenging material like Ascension (and I do), but music, even jazz, doesn’t always have to be about pushing the envelope. Sometimes, a legendary figure just doing what he does best alongside some of his best collaborators is enough. And it’s sort of hard now to appreciate what a radical change Giant Steps was at the time. Coltrane basically reinvented what improvisational jazz could be on this record.

John Coltrane, “Naima”


Rapsody, Thank HER Now mixtape

Rapsody is backsody with another 9th Wonder-shepherded collection. Her delivery seems to get a little sharper each time we hear from her, and a fine collection of guests (including Raekwon, Phonte Gallo, Jean Grae, Laws, and Mac Miller) keep things surprising. My major issue would be, at 20 tracks, it is a bit long. There’s such a thing as too much fun. But fun’s fun and free’s free, so don’t let that stop you from checking this out. You can download it here.


Rapsody with Mac Miller, “Extra Extra”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3bBT43ZSiM

Jean Grae, Cookies Or Comas mixtape

Jean Grae is ready to take over, I think. She stole the show in her guest turns on Talib Kweli and Pharoahe Monch’s albums, she did it again on the Rapsody mixtape, and now her own mixtape is finally out. Allegedly a warm-up exercise for her upcoming 4th official album Cake or Death, Cookies Or Comas is strong enough to be an official album itself. Jean’s wordplay only gets more and more sophisticated, and she continues to walk the tightropes that make her so engaging, balancing between serious and funny, between classic hip hop braggodocio and personal stories. She does it all admirably, and I’m hoping this is the year she finally gets the credit she deserves for it. Hear for yourself, it’s a free download here.


Jean Grae, “You Don’t Like It”


Warm Brew, Warm Brew EP

Wrapping up the free mixtape portion of our show this week is Warm Brew, whose EP I stumbled upon and gave a shot while getting Jean’s mixtape. Warm Brew are a young crew out of CA, rapping fun, laid back flows over classic soul samples. It’s a breath of fresh air, frankly, compared to a lot of their peers, and they know it, if their lyrics are any indication. It’s short, it’s good, it’s free. You should get it.


Warm Brew, “Go To School”


The Dillinger Escape Plan, Option Paralysis

This week’s final moments were rendered to the tune of DEP’s modern masterpiece. They’ve changed and evolved so much in their career that it’s hard to even compare their older material to their newest, but Option Paralysis is at least the best album since Greg Pucciatto became their singer. Maybe their best album, period. It places so many experiments, musical exploration and the classic energy DEP fans expect in a blender. The centerpiece, “Widower,” kind of sums it all up. Alternately shockingly tender and brutal, it merges so many musical ideas and styles, and is a powerful listen. Just like the album as a whole.

Dillinger Escape Plan, “Widower”

Yup.

--D